DA, media gear up info drive vs ASF in Caraga region
BUTUAN CITY (PIA) – The Department of Agriculture (DA) Caraga, in partnership with the media practitioners from the different provinces of the region converged their efforts to intensify information drive against the African Swine Fever (ASF) cases and discussed security measures to help hog raisers and farmers.
Emmylou
Presilda, chief of Regional Agriculture and Fisheries Information Section
(RAFIS) of DA-Caraga emphasized during the virtual briefing on Swine Mortality
Insurance held on Friday, the vital role of the media in propagating relevant
information and updates to the public through their respective platforms. “We
recognized the active support of the media to DA's advocacy campaign and in the
implementation of our programs and projects for our target beneficiaries,” she
said.
Jekem
Sanchez, livestock program focal person of DA-Caraga urged the media partners
to constantly disseminate relevant information and updates on the prevention of
the ASF in the municipalities down to the barangays. The Agriculture Offices in
the provinces along with the Bantay ASF Task Force of the region are regularly
monitoring those areas with ASF cases. Needed assistance to the affected swine
raisers, insured farmers were also provided.
As he
encouraged hog raisers and farmers to apply for the insurance program of the
Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC), Ernesto Chaves of PCIC revealed
that the insurance program specifically aims to provide insurance coverage to
the backyard and commercial hog raisers who continue with hog farming and help
mitigate risk to their investments.
“In
support of the DA’s effort, the PCIC, an attached agency of DA has
designed the Swine Repopulation Insurance Program. It contains relaxed features
of the agency's regular livestock insurance program, including the discounted
premiums to commercial hog raiser, increased indemnity payment for hog losses
and inclusion of culling or destruction of swine due to ASF as ordered by the
government as compensable peril. These features were adopted in recognition of
the urgency of the situation the hog industry is currently in,” bared Chaves.
Chaves
cited that the PCIC has allotted P600,000,000 from its current budget for this
program. The amount shall be used either as insurance premium subsidy or
indemnity payment for the assured Registry System for Basic Sectors in
Agriculture (RSBSA) listed hog raisers. The DA will provide additional
funds if needed.
“These
policies shall apply only to the current situation with regard to ASF infection
and shall remain effective until such time that hog industry and the market
will have stabilized or solutions or treatment to the disease shall have been
developed,” Chaves added.
Meanwhile, Dr. Bernadette Montenegro, action officer of the National
Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) Caraga, also underscored the need for immediate
depopulation of pigs infected by the ASF to control the spread or even
completely eradicate the ASF in the region. She also called on the hog raisers
and traders to cooperate and not to sell live or dead pigs or pork products
infected with the said viral disease. (JPG/PIA-Caraga)
